Happy New Year, everyone!As part of Blog Azeroths Furtive Father Winter event, I recently received a guest post from Katarnas, over at Resto Is Epic. Unfortunately, I didnt receive it until I was well on my way out of town for the holiday weekend, but I promised that I would post it as soon as I got back and settled in. If youre interested in the post that I submitted, which was a gift for my friend Rilandune, you can check that out here.And now, on to the lovely guest post! So this year I decided to take part in the FFW event on Blog Azeroth.

Need something to listen to while waiting for the patch to download on your painfully slow Internet connection? Something to help you pass the time while you farm Firelands trash for rep? Well, have no fear because Episode 5 of the Double O Podcast is here!http://thedoubleopodcast.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/episode-5-what-a-long-strange-trip-its-been/In this episode, Ophelie and I take a step back from the normal routine of having a guest host and sticking to a theme. Its just the two of us and we spend most of the episode relaxing and having a chat about her tour through Canada and the U.S.

Whats two and a half hours long and comes with one X, one O, a big C and a whole lot of Fyst? The latest episode of the Sundering podcast!http://thesundering.net/2011/06/05/31-the-sundering-xs-and-os/Tune in to hear more about:- How to know if your guild is ready for Firelands and what to do if its not- Why I hate the state of Georgia- My thoughts on the business behind gold farming- What I really think about people who say holy priests cant tank heal- My plans for Blizzcon and my feelings on meeting people in the gameAND- Finding love and lust in the World of Warcraft.These guys definitely got a lot out of me and this was the most candid podcast episode that I have ever done. We had a lot of laughs, some great conversation and pushed a few buttons along the way. Take a listen and have a great time along with us!

I was recently asked to be a guest host on the Twisted Nether Blogcast and we recorded the episode on Saturday. It turned out really well, although it was a bit longer than Im used to. I stayed for the interview portion and also decided to stay on board for the rest of the show. A handful of people turned out to say hello on the Live Show page and engaged us in some great conversation, which I touch on throughout the episode. All in all, it was a fantastic experience and I was so proud to be included and of how the whole thing turned out. You can check out the recently uploaded episode here:http://www.twistednether.net/2011/05/10/episode-129-the-original-centarion/Tune in to hear more about:- My advice for up and coming bloggers- Where the name of my blog really comes from- My thoughts on leaving WoW for Rift or another MMO- What snacks I absolutely must have in order to raid- My opinions on a casual raiders place in the blogosphereAND- The one thing (or two) that I would want from Blizzard, if I could have anything from them. Also, check out the next episode of the Double O Podcast, which Ophelie and I will be recording this coming Saturday. Our featured guest host is our old friend Codi, who you may know from the Raid Warning paladin roundtable and also from her website, MoarHPS. The episode is tentatively titled Lets Get Down To Business, and we will be discussing the business practices of the gaming companies behind the games we know and love and how we really feel they handle their business (and ours).

I write about what I know. I write about what Im living and what Im experiencing. For the last few weeks, I have been very involved with Rift and have been spending the nights that I dont play WoW and that I dont have other plans playing that. I really enjoy it and I feel like there is a real market for blogs and for guides that help players who are either new to the game or already playing the game to sort of find their way. Rift inspires me – enough that I decided this weekend that I want to start posting blog entries about it. Before I go any further, I do want to post a couple of disclaimers. Because I knew when I made this decision that a number of assumptions were probably going to be made and I want to try and dispel them the best that I can. Not so much for anyone elses benefit, but for my own.First and foremost, I am not quitting WoW and I will still be posting predominantly about that subject. Thats where my heart is right now. I just feel like there is a serious lack of resources about Rift and that there could be a niche for someone like me to share their thoughts and to shed some light on things that could be causing players confusion or frustration. Most of the blogs or guides that I have found pertaining to Rift are typically samples of work that lead to advertisements to buy entire guides in full, they end up being gold farmers or they dont cover anything from the perspective of someone who really plays the game. The only real positive resource that I have found is Planar Tear, which is a sister site to World of Matticus. Other than that, the number of helpful resources or blogs is pretty low. Why not write about the things that Im curious about and see if I can help others at the same time?Next, I will not be brow beating anyone into playing Rift or trying to sell people on why I play and that you should, too. I understand that true gamers are capable of playing multiple games at one time and that its unrealistic to expect them to have just one hobby to focus on. Theres nothing wrong with playing WoW, then Dragon Age 2 and maybe a side of Portal 2, as well. I dont understand the recent trend of players forcing others to decide on one game and only one game and God help you if you cant decide or you try to play them all. I dont buy into the supposed rivalry that exists between Rift and WoW that has caused many players to shun bloggers that they enjoy, because they have decided to give Rift a try. The reasons that you enjoy those blogs hasnt changed. You go for the blogger. You go for their personality and their outlook on life. I think its unfair to write someone off, because they wanted to try something new and because they are enjoying it and want to share that with others. I would like to think the reasons you enjoy reading certain peoples blogs would still shine through, even on posts that you may not have an immediate interest in and that you would still possibly enjoy what they have to say.At the end of the day, I would like to think that this wont change anything and people will still be stopping by my site, at the rate that they usually do (or possibly even more so). I would like to think that people would respect a bloggers decision to give something else a try and see if its something they can possibly enjoy or relate to, as well. Thats what I would really like to have happen and I just thought I should toss that out there before I proceed. Hopefully I can count some of you in for the ride.The guest post that I helped write for Healbot is up and you can also find contributions from Alacranmex and Beruthiel, the bloggers behind Stand In the Blue Circle and Falling Leaves And Wings (respectively). Feel free to check out the post that we all wrote together and then show Alarcran and Beru some traffic love, while youre at it.

I recently wrote a guest post for the fabulous Jasyla over at Cannot Be Tamed and the article has offiically been posted. Stop on by and check it out! While youre there, feel free to check out other blog posts that Jasyla herself has written and leave a comment or two while youre at it.Also, I am proud to announce that Episode 0 of the Double O Podcast has been uploaded! You can listen to it at the link below and find out a bit more about us and what we covered on this particular episode. Currently, we are in the process of trying to make the Double O Podcast available on iTunes and making it easier to download directly.http://thedoubleopodcast.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/episode-0-comings-goings/Ophelie and I had an absolute blast recording this and we appreciate the positive feedback that we have received so far. We would like to thank the people who encouraged us to do this and Matticus, for being kind enough to host our audio files on his server and for talking us through some of the initial technical difficulties.Please enjoy the guest post and the new podcast episode!